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TAG Heuer's Super Mario smartwatch adds Nintendo flair for $2,100

A super expensive, limited-edition Wear OS watch, for no clear reason.

Scott Stein Editor at Large
I started with CNET reviewing laptops in 2009. Now I explore wearable tech, VR/AR, tablets, gaming and future/emerging trends in our changing world. Other obsessions include magic, immersive theater, puzzles, board games, cooking, improv and the New York Jets. My background includes an MFA in theater which I apply to thinking about immersive experiences of the future.
Expertise VR and AR, gaming, metaverse technologies, wearable tech, tablets Credentials
  • Nearly 20 years writing about tech, and over a decade reviewing wearable tech, VR, and AR products and apps
Scott Stein
2 min read
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The TAG Heuer x Super Mario Connected watch has its own red Super Mario case, too.

TAG Heuer

Super Mario on your wrist? Sure, it can happen. For over $2,000, if you buy TAG Heuer's limited-edition Connected smartwatch, announced Tuesday.

TAG Heuer's unique new custom-designed watch promises animated Super Mario watch faces, along with gamified fitness animations. The dial "becomes livelier and more animated the more the wearer is active," according to TAG Heuer's press release. Other than the customized designs and watch faces, this is a design variation on TAG Heuer's existing, expensive Google Wear OS-enabled smartwatches, which have been around in various iterations for years.

The Super Mario animations at various fitness goals do sound cute: "Mario greets you with a welcoming salute in the morning and as the day progresses and you rack up your step count, you unlock rewards at each stage of your daily target -- 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% -- a different animation plays out on the dial. 

"These take the form of Super Mario's famous objects: at 3 o'clock the Super Mushroom that makes Mario grow, at 6 o'clock the Pipe that allows him to travel fast, and at 9 o'clock the Super Star that makes him invincible lights up! And when you reach 100% of your daily step count target, Mario climbs the Goal Pole, another iconic feature of the video game."

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Check out that lacquered red M.

TAG Heuer

There are other hardware details, including little Mario "M" logos on the crown, buttons and bezel, and a set of red and black leather and rubber straps. 

I'd totally enjoy a Super Mario watch face on my smartwatch, but not at this price. These Mario animations aren't coming to other Wear OS watches, apparently: They'll only be on this limited run of 2,000 TAG Heuer x Super Mario Connected watches, going on sale at TAG Heuer's website and "selected boutiques" on July 15. (There's a chance the Mario watch faces will be on made available on TAG Heuer's other expensive smartwatches, according to the press release.)

TAG's watch costs considerably less than an unopened Super Mario 64 game, but a lot more than nearly any other smartwatch on the market. Also, this TAG watch doesn't even have the new chipset or software for Google's upcoming Wear OS smartwatch revamp coming later this year, starting with Samsung's next Galaxy watch.

That's a lot of coins to spend for Mario on your wrist, but in a world of ever-more-collectible gaming stuff, maybe that's all part of the plan.